Wright State Is Just The Right Fit For Daniel

CINCINNATI - “I wanted to go far away to school, but it’s not going to happen. I guess 45 minutes is enough.”

For Moeller junior Conlan Daniel, Wright State is more than worth the idea of staying close to home.

“I talked to some of the Wright State players and they say how much they love it there,” the second-rated 2024 outfielder in Ohio explained. “They’re fun to watch and I want to be a part of it.”

Interest between Wright State and Daniel initiated during the high school season.

“We had a couple of Wright State dudes on our high school team so they came to a Moeller game,” Daniel reflected. “After that I was told they were interested in me. During the summer they saw me at the Future Games and also saw me when I went to another tournament. They talked to my coaches and ended up offering me.

“We stayed in contact and I went on a visit,” the 17-year-old continued. “I loved the school and the coaches. After a month, I decided it was right for me.”

Northern Kentucky and Ball State were other colleges that Daniel was considering before deciding to stay closer to home.

“Ball State lost their recruiting coordinator so it was tough to stay in touch with them, and I loved the coaching staff at Northern Kentucky,” Daniel noted. “I’m playing football and was trying to wait until after the season before I made a decision, but I just thought it was the right time to make a decision.”

After all, an opportunity to be part of a program like Wright State was too much to ignore.

 “It’s very exciting,” the 21st-rated junior in Ohio said. “When I first got a text from Wright State that they wanted to get on the phone with me I was shocked and excited. My heart almost exploded. It’s a top 50 program in the nation that wins, wins, wins every single year. It’s exciting to be in a program with everything on the uprise.”

Making the commitment even more compelling is an opportunity to be a two-way player.

“They like that I can pitch and hit,” Daniel explained. “I’m going as a two-way, but they’re not offering me as a pitcher/hitter, they’re offering me as an athlete.”

The speedy outfielder only recently added pitching to his arsenal.

“I started pitching last summer in a tournament out of desperation,” Daniel related. “I’ve been climbing the totem pole ever since.”

With a fastball that has reached 90, improvement continues.

“Pitching is going great,” the 6-0 170-pounder pointed out. “Moeller (assistant) coach (David) Cydrus is going to help me find chinks in the armor.”

While a two-way prospect now, the two-sport athlete initially was looking at football as a possibility at the next level.

“When I came into high school I wanted to be a football player,” Daniel admitted. “But size wasn’t my thing and - knowing that I might not be big enough for football - I started to realize that baseball may be my thing. Then this past season I started to get recruited. It’s nice to get recognized. That’s when I decided to be a college baseball player.”

To know where the future is in the sport brought excitement to Daniel and his family.

“I texted my dad and said I want to commit to Wright State,” Daniel reflected about the elation that took place when a decision was made. “He sent a text back and said it’s your decision, I’m proud of you. I also texted my mom. They were more excited than me.”

A  two-time participant in the Future Games, Daniel is happy to have the recruiting process at an end.

“It was slow to begin with but picked up more at the end,” Daniel explained. “The Future Games was a very big help for me. There were hundreds of coaches watching and I thought one was going to reach out.

“The hard part about it all was keeping in contact with coaches. Some you never heard from and some were interested in you for a while, but it wasn’t always consistent.”

A 3.8 student at Moeller looking into a college major of business entrepreneurship, Daniel is confident about making an impact at the Horizon League university.

“The Wright State coaches said my personality is something that drew them in,” Daniel noted. “They think I can help morale. I’ll also bring an extra arm and bat and believe I’ll be good in the field.”

It appears to be a perfect match.

“I wasn’t looking for a big college and Wright State is smaller, which is what I needed,” Daniel concluded. “All the players stay in an apartment together. I like to be around guys already trying to start bonds. That will be special when we take that over to the baseball field.”